Elevator guide shoe



' shock absorber. V

Patented July 4, 193s UNITED STATES,

PATENT JAMES DUllTLOP, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASS IGNORTO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC I V ELEVATOR COMPANY, A CQRPQRATION OF ILLINOIS ELEVATOR GUIDE SHOE My invention relates to elevator guide shoes for guiding the movements of elevator cars between the guide rails and, more specifically, it relates to a combined guide shoe and Elevator cars are commonly guided in their movements, up and down the hatchway, by guide rails in the hatchway cooperating with guide shoes carried by the cars. For this purpose, it is customary to provide four guide shoes on each car, usually mounted on each side on the top and on eachs de on the bottom of the car adjacent the guide rails.

15 When the guide shoes are mounted on the car, it is necessary to allow considerable clearance between the shoes and the guide rails in order that the car may pass freely, at all points in the hatchway, even though the rails may have become misaligned and warped slightly from their original positions by settling of. the, building.

The operation .of. elevator cars provided with guide shoes, as above setfor-th, is accompanied ,by considerable vibration and noise, which are caused by the guide shoes striking against theqguide rails. 7 Such noises are further, accentuated by theside walls of the car acting as sounding boards and are annoying, not only tolthe operator and passengers but also to other occupants of the building. Furthermore, considerable unnecessary wear is occasioned by the guide shoes striking the guide rails, and the resulting vibrations are detrimental to the elevator cab and apparatus.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide elevator guide shoes which prevent, or reduce to a minimum,-the vibrations, noiseand wear caused by the sudden and irregular engagement of the shoes with the rails. 1 j

It is another object of my-invention to provide a guide shoe whichshallbe free to fol .low smoothly the irregularities of the gu de rail and maintain continuous engagement therewith, as the car passesup and down the hatchway.

It is also an object of my invention to provide anelevator'guideshoe which shall II of Fig. 2, and

maintained be efie'ctive to damp out oscillations of. the car, caused by irregularities of the guide rails, as it passes up and down the hatchway.

In accordance with my invention, I provide .axrelatively light spring for normally urging the guide shoe into contact with the guide rail, and a heavy spring for damping out oscillations of a predetermined amplitude.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its mode of operation,

together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific rem- 6 .bodiment, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,-in which;

Fig. l is a sectionalcview of a, preferred embodiment of my invention, taken on line v Fig. 2 is, a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing,

:the apparatus shown comprises a bracket or standard 1, the upper portion of which is provided with a longitudinally extending orifice 2 for slidably receiving the cylindrical shank 8 of the guide shoe 4 which is supported thereby. The cylindrical shank 3 is provided with an axially-disposed recess 530 which receives a shaft 5, one end of which is pinned into the shanki3 by a pin 6, and the other end of which is threaded and protrudes from the open side of the standard. A compression spring '8 is disposed within the 355 recess in concentric relation to the shaft 5.

' vThe open end of the standard 1 is internally threadedto receive a threaded closure member 9 does not directly engage the spring 8,

it'holds a washer '11, a spacing ring 12 and a sleeve 13 against the spring 8 in compressing relation, whereby the spring is normally in a compressed condition. Since the compression of the spring 8 tends to bias the guide shoe l outwardly away from the standard 1, it is necessary,.during-ship- .ment, to-screw a nut 14 upon the threaded"- the vertical U-shaped recess of the shoe.

end of the shaft 5 to hold the guide shoe 4 and the standard 1 in assembled relation.

A heavy damping spring 16 is concentrically disposed about the sleeve 13 to dampout lateral oscillations of excessive amplitude. The damping spring 16' is mounted against the washer 11, and, being of larger diameter than the sleeve 13, is disposed concentrically around the latter. The inner end of the damping spring is disposed adjacent to the inner end of the cylindrical shank 3 but is spaced a certain distance therefrom. The space between the end of the damping spring and the shank 3 may be varied to suit the requirements of any particular installation by substituting a washer of suitable thickness or providing additional washers. Instead of the damping'spring 16, a dash-pot or any equivalent shock-absorbing device may be provided.

The operating characteristics of the device may be further adjusted by varying the length or compression of the spring 8. This may be accomplished by inserting a different or a greater number of spacing rings 12. An opening 17 is provided through the upper wall of the standard 1 and is threaded to receive a grease cup or any suitable lubricator for reducing the sliding friction of the cylindrical shank 3 within the orifice 2.

The guide shoe 4 is provided with a vertical recess of U-shape in lateral section, wherein is secured a liner 21 of any suitable Wearresisting material. The liner 21 is secured within the guide shoe 4 by retaining caps 22 which are fastened to the upper and lower ends of the shoe by means of screws 23.

When the guide shoe is installed on an elevator car, it is mounted on a bed plate 24 in any suitable manner, as by passing bolts through slotted openings, and is so positioned that the guide rail 25 will be received within It is to be understood that a plurality of my guide shoes are installed on each elevator car in any usual manner, for example, one on each side on top of the car and one on each side on the bottom of the car (not shown) After each guide shoe has been mounted on the elevator car, in the proper position relative to the guide rail, the nut 14 is removed from the threaded end of the shaft, and the compression spring 8 forces the slidably mounted guide shoe into close contact with the rail.

My invention is best understood, however, when considered with reference to an assumed operation thereof. 'Assuming that the guide shoe shown in Fig. 1 is carried by a car moving adjacent to the guide rail 25, the compression spring 8 will hold the slidably mounted shoe in close contact with the rail. As the shoe passes overrough and irregular spots on the rail, the cylindrical shank 3 thereof will slide freely in the coopcrating orifice 2 in the standard 1, and will also permit the shoe to rotate about the axis of the shank, whereby it is maintained in close contact with the rail at all times. hen the shoe passes over a rail joint that is misaligned, the amplitude of vibration is comparatively great, but the impact is graduallyabsorbed by the heavy damping spring 16, or other shock-absorbing means, instead of being imparted directly to the car through a rigid stop member.

Assuming that, during its travel up and down the hatchway, the elevator car passes between portions of guide rail, which, although smooth, are badly warped and irregular, the car will tend to violently oscillate laterally. As soon'as the amplitude of such oscillations becomes great enough to be particularly annoying, the inner end of the cylindrical shank 3 will engage the adjacent end of the heavy damping spring 16. As a consequence of its engagement of the shank with the damping device, the oscillations are damped-out and do not persist long enough to cause annoyance.

It will be understood that I have provided a combined guide shoe and shock absorber which prevents or reduces the vibrations, noise and wear occasioned by the elevator guide shoes striking the guide rails as the car passes up and down the hatchway and which is also effective to damp-out sustained oscillations set up by irregularities in the guide rails.

Although I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An elevator guiding means comprising a shoe provided with an elongated recess for receiving a guide rail, a cylindrical shank projecting laterally from the shoe, a standard provided with an orifice for receiving said cylindrical shank, whereby the shoe isslidably and rotatably mounted, a comparatively weak spring continuously engaging the shoe for biasing it toward the rail, and a relatively strong spring mounted for engaging the shank when the oscillations of the shoe eX- ceed a predetermined amplitude.

2. An elevator guiding means comprising a shoe provided with an elongated recess for cooperative association with a guide rail, a cylindrical shank projecting laterally from the shoe, a standard provided with an ori-- fice for receiving said cylindrical shank,

whereby the shoe is slidably and rotatably mounted, a closure member providing a hearng in the open end of said orifice, a shaft secured into said cylindrical shank and extending slidably through said bearing, a rela-- tively weak helical spring concentrically disposed on said shaft for continuously reacting between said closure member and shoe to bias the latter toward the rail, and a relatively strong helical spring of greater diameter disposed in concentric relation on said shaft for biasing said shoe toward the rail, damping means mounted in said orifice, a closure member threadably received in the open end of said orifice, a sleeve for maintaining the damping means and the biasing means in position in the orifice, said sleeve being mounted on said closure member, whereby upon re moval of the closure member, the said damping and biasing means may be conveniently removed for repair or replacement without removing the shoe or its standard.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of November 1930. i

JAMES DUN LOP. 

